Electronic mail (e-mail) has become one of the most used modern communication tools. An e-mail user typically has an account with an e-mail service provider (e.g., from a web-based source or from the user's employment) for sending and receiving electronic messages. The user also typically uses either a web browser to review e-mail messages from a web-based e-mail service provider or a client application installed on the user's computer for viewing e-mail messages.
With the popularity and convenience of e-mail, unwanted messages, such as SPAM, junk mail, or electronic advertisements, slowly but surely fill the user's e-mail inbox. Service providers continuously battle these incoming SPAM messages and design SPAM filters by using various heuristics or determining mechanisms to filter the unwanted messages and place them in a separate SPAM filter for the user to have a second chance to confirm such determination. Despite these efforts, however, these unwanted messages continue to flood the user's inbox.
On the other hand, some e-mail messages may be desirable by the user at the beginning, such as electronic newsletters from one's favorite nonprofit organization, but these electronic newsletters may become unwanted over time. However, the messages are not as intrusive as SPAM and the user does not wish to classify them as such.
Consequently, it is very common for the user to first clear out the unwanted messages upon opening one's e-mail inbox. As such, the user typically spends considerable amount of time eliminating incoming unwanted messages. They typically scan the sender names and subjects, looking for unwanted or unrecognized items. They are many times confused by the legitimacy of some of the e-mails, especially the ones with “re” in the title that look like they come from someone they know. This usually requires them to open the mail before learning it is offensive or unwanted. In this process, if a SPAM filter is provided or used, the user also needs to browse through the separate SPAM folder or directory to see if there is any message that is mistakenly classified as a SPAM. Thus, the user is spending an unnecessary amount of time just going through unwanted messages before finally reviewing acceptable e-mail messages.
In addition, existing technologies and services that offer automatic filtering, sorting, or the like (apart from receiving e-mail messages to the inbox chronologically). While some users like this, many users show a preference for leaving their mail list in-tact and for having choices and customizable options presented to them, but not made for them.